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6 Ways to Create Psychological Safety at Work
An HR leader recently called me to bounce some ideas around regarding her leadership team. As she began to describe their struggle with specific situations, I realized there was a solution they hadn’t tried yet. It wasn’t accountability, or goal setting. Instead, we realized her leaders hadn’t created an environment where psychological safety was the […]
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Trust in the Workplace
Whenever I teach a workshop on communication I start with the concept of trust. Why do I begin with the concept of trust? Because without trust, communication is superficial. Think about it –if your communication, as a leader, is shallow or non-existent, your employees, your teams, and your colleagues will essentially ignore what you are […]
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I9 Form Grace Period Ends Soon
The new I9 form has been the talk of the town for a couple months now. It was announced on July 21st that the new form should be used as of August 1, 2023. So why am I just now bringing it up? Because the grace period ends on October 31st and employers are required […]
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As the Workplace Evolves, Your Performance Reviews Should Too
The performance review systems of the past will not survive—nor should they. They were built for a workplace that no longer exists. Performance reviews must evolve with the changing workplace. Younger generations of empowered employees and the continuing proliferation of remote work are transforming the workplace. Much work today, especially knowledge work like the practice […]
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4 Ways to Encourage Accountability
We all know that accountability in the workplace is one of the driving characteristics of high-performing teams and offices. If accountability isn’t part of your company’s culture, you will struggle with employee performance and engagement. Plus, if employees can always escape accountability by making excuses, you will have a stagnant culture and workforce. Accountability isn’t […]
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Employee Recognition Programs
Most people I have met, managed, and worked with want to be appreciated. They want to be appreciated for their hard work, for hitting a production goal, or for contributing to the company’s success, for showing up on time, and for being a decent person. Even the person who says they don’t want the trophy, […]
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Outside Perspectives
Like many of my friends and clients, I am a corporate refuge. I spent years in the corporate world, and in that realm, the HR team was the core of the business. It served as the first touchpoint candidates encountered when applying for a job, it was the heartbeat for recruiting, and we dealt with […]
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Banging Heads and Soothing Feathers: Difficult Conversations
In today’s competitive, diverse, and fragmented workplace, conflict happens.Different people, with different work styles, personal and professional needs, are bound to clash about what to do and how to get it done. There’s no need to fear conflict, resolved effectively, conflict and its resolution can lead to personal and professional growth, and a more resilient workplace. Before […]
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How to Encourage Flexibility, Pivots, and Changes in the Workplace
If there is one thing the last few years taught us, it is how to be flexible. Now when someone has to reschedule it isn’t a big deal – we accommodate and make the adjustments. For us introverts, sometimes it is a blessing, sometimes it is putting off the inevitable. Either way we, dare I […]
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Birthdays — One of the Most Common HR Traps
During my years in Corporate America, I didn’t give it a second thought when my offices had a birthday party for a team member. As my offices grew, we changed the ritual to once a month (from everyone celebrating individually), but the balloon, cake, and card were “normal” office policy. I learned the hard way […]
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Are you Playing in the Major Leagues?
Welcome to Spring 2023. Yes, I said Spring. While the rest of the country digs out from yet another snow storm, we are truly blessed to live in the Southwest, with its warm days and cool nights (although it has been cooler than normal for us!). It is the land of the Early Spring—those rare […]
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Maintaining a Healthy Work-Home Balance
I was lucky and I had an office to hide in during the pandemic. However, for many of my clients, remote work is here to stay. Yes, working from home has become the norm. When the pandemic started, I reminded businesses that it was important to maintain a healthy work/home balance and to respect people’s […]
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The Power of EQ in Leadership
When I teach leadership classes I try to instill in my class that there are three important leadership traits that will help them stay on the leadership track. I think a skill that can also be honed is emotional intelligence or EQ. Emotional intelligence in a leader can help them read their people as well […]
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Reflecting on the Year
Wow, December 2023. Who would have thought it would be here so quickly and yet still take so long to get here. As we reflect on the year and send love to our friends, family, clients, and colleagues take a moment to send love to yourself. Love what you have accomplished and release the feeling […]
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‘Tis the Season to say Thank You
November — Thanksgiving, Turkey, cooler weather, changing leaves (ok, maybe not in Phoenix!). Ok, maybe the leaves aren’t as vibrant here in Phoenix but that doesn’t change the fact that November is often the season to say Thank you. Who else has a tradition of everyone saying what they are grateful for around the family […]
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We’ve Come A Long Way
This month we are celebrating 10 years in business. 10 years of helping small business owners, professionals, and leaders realize their potential, expand their businesses, and navigate through uncertainty. Time is a funny thing. Making the decision to open Structure for Success feels like yesterday AND a 100 years ago. My business doesn’t look the […]